LEE’S SUMMIT, MO-July 29, 2015 Lynxspring, a premier developer and provider of open, IP-control solutions for building automation, energy management, cyber protection, and device-to-enterprise integration today announced the latest sponsors and supporters for The Lynxspring Exchange and Partner Conference being held October 26th-28th at the Argosy Hotel and Casino in Riverside, Missouri.

The Lynxspring Exchange brings together Lynxspring’s ecosystem and community of business partners, integrators, contractors, OEMs, technology partners, industry professionals and practitioners to exchange, collaborate, network and learn about today’s operating systems and solutions for operating facilities smarter, safer, securely, more efficiently, and at peak performance levels and the latest in advanced smart-device applications and technology.

The conference includes sessions and workshops to help advance Lynxspring’s ecosystem and partners and help them achieve more with their businesses through technology and best practices. It is an opportunity to Connect, Converse, Exchange, and Interact with individuals delivering and deploying technology and solutions that are changing how buildings and facilities are managed and operate.

About Lynxspring: Lynxspring is changing the way devices, systems, and people communicate and collaborate across enterprises. Embracing open, interoperable IP-based software and hardware platforms, we design, manufacture and distribute JENEsys®( Powered by Niagara), Onyxx™ and Helixx™ based automation and cyber security technology and edge-to-enterprise solutions for Building Automation, Energy Management, Cyber Protection, Equipment Control and other Specialty applications. Our technologies simplify the automation and information architecture across the enterprise and significantly lowers cost and enables users to go further to manage and operate their facilities and equipment smarter, safer, securely, more efficiently, and at peak performance levels.

Lee’s Summit, MO. July 7, 2015 Lynxspring, a premier developer and provider of open, IP-control solutions for building automation, energy management, cyber protection, and device-to-enterprise integration today announced it will hold The Lynxspring Exchange and Partner Conference on October 26th-28th at the Argosy Hotel and Casino in Riverside, Missouri.

The Lynxspring Exchange brings together Lynxspring’s ecosystem and community of business partners, integrators, contractors, OEMs, technology partners, industry professionals and practitioners to exchange, collaborate, network and learn about today’s operating systems and solutions for operating facilities smarter, safer, securely, more efficiently, and at peak performance levels and the latest in advanced smart-device applications. It is an opportunity to Connect, Converse, Exchange, and Interact with individuals delivering and deploying technology and solutions that are changing how buildings and facilities are managed and operate.

The conference includes sessions about operating systems and solutions running and managing facilities smarter, safer, securely, more efficiently and at peak performance levels and workshops to help advance Lynxspring’s ecosystem and partners achieve more with their businesses through technology and value.

“This conference is important as advances in technology and the changes in how facilities operate continue to play a key role in how we interact, collaborate, manage, secure and smarten up our buildings”, said Marc Petock, Vice President Marketing, Lynxspring. “The Lynxspring Exchange provides an excellent venue to keep up on the latest technology and the business of operating our buildings better and offers a strong foundation for doing that”.

More information on The Lynxspring Exchange can be found at www.lynxspringexchange.com.

About Lynxspring: Lynxspring is changing the way devices, systems, and people communicate and collaborate across
enterprises. Embracing open, interoperable IP-based software and hardware platforms, we design,
manufacture and distribute JENEsys®( Powered by Niagara), Onyxx™ and Helixx™ based automation and cyber security technology and edge-to-enterprise solutions for Building Automation, Energy Management, Cyber Protection, Equipment Control and other Specialty applications. Our technologies simplify the automation and information architecture across the enterprise and significantly lowers cost and enables users to go further to manage and operate their facilities and equipment smarter, safer, securely, more efficiently, and at peak performance levels.

I got a chance to catch up with the ever-informative Marc Petcock, a long time building automation controls legend, at Conference Live, 2015 Realcomm|IBcon. Marc is VP Marketing at Lynxspring and a leading expert on building automation cyber security. Check out what Marc has to say.

We are pleased to announce a new webinar series titled “30 minutes with Lynxspring”. This monthly webinar series, hosted by Lynxspring subject matter experts and special guests, will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 12:00 PM CDT. During each webinar, our moderators and experts will discuss a variety of subjects and topics important to our industry from the business/sales side, to products and solutions, and to the technical and training side.

Each session topic will be sent out at the beginning of each month.

Session 1 – Onyxx-MB311 Modbus to BACnet Bridge

Overview: To begin the series, we will be conducting a product session on our new Onyxx-MB311 Modbus to BACnet Bridge and how the technology within the Onyxx-MB311 Bridge has revolutionized the construction, implementation, and interaction of Modbus to BACnet network communication by addressing the need for simplicity, ease-of-use, and increased functionality.

The Onyxx-MB311 Bridge takes Modbus to BACnet protocol translation to the next level by not only translating up to 2500 Modbus points to managable BACnet points; it converts Modbus slave devices into virtual BACnet devices using virtual BACnet routing. Acting as the Master Modbus device, the Onyxx-MB311 manages all Modbus RTU or TCP slave devices connected to it.

Third-party software is not needed to access and configure the Onyxx-MB311 Bridge. An operator simply connects to the Onyxx-MB311 Bridge utilizing a standard Internet browser. The operator is presented with all of the configuration screens, documentation, device settings, help, and software tools needed to complete a successful project.

When: Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Time: 12:00 PM CDT

Register here: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar series.

Please contact our if you have any questions. We look forward to you joining us.
Toll free: 877-649-5969 | E-mail: marketing@lynxspring.com

The NodeHaystack has been developed to take advantage of the Node.js® platform and all of its benefits. NodeHaystack provides a fully scalable, fast server interface, for anyone wishing to implement a Haystack server of their own. In addition, because it is written in JavaScript, this technology can be used in the browser itself to connect to other Project Haystack implementations and build rich web UIs remotely, off the Haystack server. NodeHaystack is a direct port of Haystack Java Toolkit, and provides all of the functionality of the de-facto standard for Project Haystack server development. In addition to the core functionality, Lynxspring has added the ability to accept JSON encoded input, instead of ZINC, to aid in the development of pure JavaScript environments.

Also announced, was a BACnet -Haystack Data Pump which serves as a gateway that brings BACnet points and data in a secured environment up to Project Haystack clients and applies Haystack tags to distribute up to building and energy management applications.

Training and knowledge exchange is very important at Lynxspring. We are committed to making each of you as effective as possible with our technologies and products so we can enable you to achieve the very best technical knowledge and expertise you can.

With this in mind, I would like to remind you of our upcoming scheduled NTCP Niagara AX Technical Certification Classes (see schedule below). The goal of this 5-day Niagara AX Certification Technical Training course is to educate students to a basic level of technical expertise necessary to effectively and efficiently design, engineer, and program projects using the NiagaraAX Framework.

Niagara 4 Training

Niagara 4 will require a separate certification. This certification will be offered through a full, one week Niagara 4 NTCP course available with the launch of the product here at our training facility as well as through an available CBT- on-line bridge course open to anyone who is NiagaraAX certified at the time of the release of Niagara 4. This will also be offered through Lynxspring.

We recognize that time is money and the CBT is designed to save you both. Partners who are NiagaraAX certified can take advantage of the reduced course cost and capitalize on the time saved by allowing you to take the training when it best fits your schedule and at your own pace.

The availability date and cost for this CBT have not yet been finalized. We will make an announcement as soon as we can.

What is the Niagara 4 Bridge Course?
The Niagara 4 Bridge Course is a self-paced e-learning course highlighting new features in Niagara 4. The course consists of several modules that provide multiple methods for learning such as expert videos, demonstrations, simulations, and technical documentation. The student will take a mini exam at the end of each module to qualify to be Niagara 4 certified.

Why do I need a new NTCP certification if I am already NiagaraAX certified?
Tridium has announced that NiagaraAX certification is a separate credential than Niagara 4 certification, and users who wish to be certified must be trained on Niagara 4 even if they are already certified for NiagaraAX.

What is the benefit of taking this bridge course instead of the full 1 week certification?
The student can choose to use the content style which suits their learning best and allows them to take the training when it best fits their schedule and complete the training at their own pace. This CBT eliminates the need for the student to travel, thereby eliminating any associated traveling costs and employee

When will eligibility for the Niagara 4 bridge course be cut-off? When must I be NiagaraAX certified by?
Tridium has not announced the final date for which NiagaraAX certification will be accepted for Niagara 4 Bridge course eligibility. The only announcement to date has been that at launch, the Niagara 4 Bridge course will be available for those who are already NiagaraAX certified. The upcoming NiagaraAX NTCP courses at Lynxspring will definitely qualify based on Tridium’s announced launch window is: May 11-15 2015, June 7-13 2015 and July 12-18 2015. We also have multiple openings available on the calendar this summer for offsite courses if desired. We will provide further guidance when announced by Tridium.

I am already AX certified, when can I register for the Niagara 4 bridge course and begin my certification?
The bridge course is in its final testing stages and is expected to be ready no later than the launch of Niagara 4. Lynxspring is working closely with Tridium and we will update you as soon as the course is officially open for enrollment.

Please contact our training team if you have any questions.
Toll free: 877-649-5969 | E-mail: training@lynxspring.com.

Cybersecurity has taken a pole position at ControlTrends and we are grateful to the important content and contributions being provided by HVAC and BAS Cybersecurity professionals. Our industry has a long, long way to go to meet the increasing challenges of Cybersecurity, but we’re getting on track with the guidance we receive from these generous professionals sharing their expertise. Marc Petock’s post contains two very important links that bring some of the world of Cybersecurity to a needy industry’s doorstep, and terms like “Duty of Care” and a CEO’s “Tone at the Top” — as well as equations like Risk = Threat X Vulnerability X Impact, and Risk = Probability X Impact, will become increasing familiar and used in our industry — in the near future.

Marc Petock, Vice President Marketing, Lynxspring & Connexx Energy: Our connected business world means there are thousands of entry points in and out of companies. The exploding number of access points means we now have thousands of potential openings into our companies. What has been traditionally seen as a simple component of an organization’s infrastructure, throwing a firewall and antivirus solution down as an adequate cyber strategy, has evolved into something that can keep one awake at night. The scary truth is that network security does not work as well as we thought.

As cybersecurity has emerged as the number one priority today, it is becoming a front business issue and a board room issue. After a series of high profile data breaches and warnings, corporate boards find themselves dealing with cyber threats and security issues. Not long ago, cybersecurity was a term rarely, if ever, heard in the boardroom. Rather, information security was deemed to be a risk managed solely by the chief information or technology officer or the IT department. Those days are gone. With the long list of high profile cybersecurity hacks and the after effects that include drop in shareholder value, decline in sales, brand and customer erosion, regulatory inquiries and litigations, cybersecurity has become an increasingly challenging risk that boards must address.

According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2014, 1,517 companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market listed some version of the words cybersecurity, hacking, hackers, cyberattacks or data breach as a business risk in securities filings. That is up from 1,288 in all of 2013 and 879 in 2012.

Board Governance when it comes to cybersecurity is indeed a subject that is complicated and requires a deep understanding of the situation, careful consideration of the risks and implications, and decision making as to how to proceed. A recent report sums up the situation, “it has long been recognized that directors and officers have a fiduciary duty to protect the assets of their organizations. Today, this duty extends to digital assets, and has been expanded by laws and regulations that impose specific privacy and cyber security obligations on companies”.

Here are two reference documents that provide a collection of information that may be of interest to those responsible for or researching the subject of Cybersecurity and Governance within the context of a Board of Directors.

Today’s reality is this, no matter what business you are in, no matter where in the world you are everything on a network is at risk. One thing we can be sure of is that cyber threats aren’t going to go away. There is a pressing need for proactive cybersecurity vigilance and it is all of our responsibility to take an active role.

About the Author

Marc Petock is Vice President, Marketing at Lynxspring and Connexx Energy where he leads corporate and product marketing strategy and execution, brand management, public relations and communications to support both companies strategic and growth initiatives. Marc is a contributing author, noted speaker and recognized industry leader having earned Realcomm’s “Top 35 People to Watch” for the last seven years in a row, Who’s Who in M2M, a Digital Impact Award and several other industry accolades. Marc also serves on the board of directors of Connexx Energy and Project Haystack and is an advisor to Realcomm.

We want to advise you that Tridium has released a software patch for various NiagaraAX 3.8.38.1 modules. Upgrading these modules will correct the issues described in the Product Update Notification recently published for this update.

Once you have downloaded and extracted the upgraded Niagara modules, copy the modules from the location where they were extracted to and paste them in the modules folder located under your installation of 3.8.38.1. This will complete the module software update.

Please contact our support team if you have any questions. Toll free: 877-649-5969 | E-mail: support@lynxspring.com.

Niagara R2 to Niagara AX –The time has come to replace Niagara R2 in favor of the far more advanced Niagara AX!

The Niagara Framework has evolved significantly since the first commercial version; Niagara R2 was first introduced. Since that time, Niagara has become the industry’s open software platform standard that enables the integration of complex and disparate monitoring, control and automation solutions.

Niagara R2 is no longer an effective solution as it has reached its product end-of-life. As of December 31, 2015, we will see the end of distribution of Niagara R2 products as well as the end of transfer of existing R2 to AX licenses. In addition, technical support will discontinue.

The time has come to replace Niagara R2 in favor of the far more advanced Niagara AX.

Lynxspring has been involved in hundreds of R2 to AX conversions. We have made it quick and easy to migrate from R2 to AX. The Lynxspring Niagara R2 replacement program offers you a choice of 4 conversion options that deliver a high performance solution and meets the challenges of today’s more advanced facilities with increased capacity to handle more connectivity, more integration, and more interoperability delivering a high ROI for you and your customers.